46. She knows that she suffers evils by God's permission, though by the hidden judgement of the Judge. — What is designated by the quiver of God, if not his hidden counsel? The Lord shoots an arrow from the quiver when from his hidden counsel he sends forth an open sentence. For that anyone is scourged, we know; but for what cause the scourge comes upon him, we know not. But when after the scourges there follows an amendment of life, then the very power of the counsel is laid open. The quiver closed, therefore, is the hidden counsel. But we are afflicted with the quiver open, when through that which follows after the scourge we see by what counsel we are scourged.
When the Lord sees sins, and yet does not move his hand to punishment, he holds, as it were, the quiver closed; but by striking he shows how greatly that displeased him in us which he long tolerated by seeing it. Thus the holy Church of the elect, pressed down by tribulations, may say: For he hath opened his quiver, and afflicted me. And she, bearing the insolent voices of her adversaries, when she perceives that her preaching is not received, forsaking the hardness of certain ones, tempers the words of her preaching. For perceiving that her persecutors become worse at the voice of her exhortation, she rather chooses to be silent. And when she beholds those who hear to be unworthy, she binds her preaching with a veil of silence. Whence she fitly subjoins: